Sealing the Walls and the Ceiling

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday and is brought to you by the voices in my head, who have been set free from their dungeon. Linda says:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “sealing/ceiling.” Use one, use both, have fun!

Have fun? Oh, we’re having fun. We bought lumber, we’re using power tools, we’re lifting stuff with winches – which is almost as good as having a crane – and things are taking shape.

This summer’s project is to replace the siding on our garage. That would seem to be a straightforward process, but since the existing siding is T-111, a plywood based product that serves as sheathing and siding in one, and since it is not in the best of condition, it has to be removed. We could just replace certain sections, but that would require sealing a bunch of seams.

We haven’t started ripping walls down yet. That means I don’t have a dumpster yet. It’s been years since I‘ve had a dumpster. Years, I tell you! It also means we aren’t tripping over piles of plywood and vinyl siding that can’t be used yet. Why can’t they be used – If no one asked that question, well, it’s not going to stop me, this train of thought is moving.

The reason for the delay is that two things have to be replaced before we replace the siding. OK, there are really three things, if you consider the sheathing a thing. One of the non-sheathing things is the set of entry doors to the storage space in the attic of the garage. The second thing is the “seasonal shed” hanging off the side of the garage. I put seasonal shed in quotes because it’s a funny little thing between me and the Mrs.

Like every suburban family in America, we have a shed. Like all those families, the shed is a house-of-horrors that escaped a mechanical amusement park. Every imaginable implement of destruction, and assorted powered cutting, chopping, mulching, blowing and bagging thing under the sun is in there. They aren’t actually under the sun. the roof of the shed is a ceiling of sorts.

Everything has handles, sharp parts and lots of stuff has wheels to make navigating the shed very dangerous. Add the fact that we put stuff away when we’re hot and tired and, well you get the picture. If you don’t, go look at your shed. If you’re one of those highly organized types, go look at your neighbor’s shed. Go ahead, ask him if you can borrow something. It’s July, I suggest you ask for a leaf rake. That hasn’t been used for eight months, there’s no way he’ll find it.

About 20 years ago, I had the bright idea to build a small shed, about 7′ (2.1m) tall, 4′ (1.2m) wide and not quite deep enough for a Home Depot Homer Bucket. The idea was that we would move the items needed for the current season from the shed into the seasonal shed. Then everything would be handy. I finished the seasonal shed in May. I hung it on the wall, my wife filled it with garden tools and it has remained full of those tools ever since. It has never held a snow shovel or an ice-chipper or a bag of salt.

The deal was sealed the day the shed was hung.

The seasonal shed has worn well, but needs repairs. And, it’s not quite deep enough for a Homer Bucket. And, it has to be painted. That’s three strikes, it’s out.

I am building a new seasonal shed. It’s designed to be sided like the garage as a means of sealing the shed and its contents against the wind, rain and snow – since it’s never opened in the winter. It also needs to be shingled like the garage as a means of sealing its ceiling against those same elements.

The doors to the attic are also being designed to seal the attic space and the ceiling of the garage, ‘cuz that’s the underside of the attic, from all those same weather things.

Once these two projects are done, we’ll be able to pull the walls off the garage, replace the sheathing, hang the shed, install the doors and wrap the place with Tyvek, thereby sealing it nice and tight. Then we can install the siding. More importantly, I get my dumpster.

Assembled frame of the new shed. This will be wrapped in plywood on the outside, Slatwall™ on the inside and doors – there will be doors.

This is the existing seasonal shed. It’s held up well, but it’s time to move on.

They make expensive fence systems for this saw, but this gizmo works pretty well and cost nothing.

The four corners of the new shed are set in pairs. And, I have a visitor.

Just checking to see that the sides are square and identical.

Long lengths turn into shorter lengths

The top is built so the roof slopes. It’s 22½° so I had to make clamping aids

90° clamping aids are readily available. They hold things in place until I’m ready to glue and screw things into place.

Dry fit to get a look at the new improved profile.

This thing is going to hang on the wall and hold a lot more weight than a kitchen cabinet. This construction screw will help.

Those doors will have to be replaced.